Minecraft for schools will be Microsoft's next gamble
MICROSOFT is buying the educational version of Minecraft and has plans to create a bigger and better version of the popular world-building video game that’s designed for classrooms.
The Redmond Washington, software company will partner with TeacherGaming LLC, creator of MinecraftEdu, to transform that game into “Minecraft: Education Edition.” Financial terms were not disclosed.
Microsoft says the new version will add and expand features intended to make the game classroom-friendly, including better maps and coordinates that will help teachers and students find their way around a Minecraft world together. Developers will also beef up the game’s multiplayer capabilities so that a classroom of up to 40 children can work together.
The game lets players explore, fight monsters and build surprisingly complex structures — even electrical circuits — out of blocks. You could easily use it to teach math, said Deirdre Quaranstrom, Microsoft’s director of Minecraft education. But kids could also explore ancient temples in the game for a history class or view the inside of an eyeball as part of a science lesson.
Perks for educators include an online community with a mentorship program for connecting teachers experienced with Minecraft to those new to it.
The new game will be available this summer, with free trials available for teachers and students. Microsoft will announce pricing details before the end of the current school year, but says it currently plans to keep the price at $5 per user per year.
Amazon expansion
Amazon is expanding its smart-home ordering service to a range of new appliances. Its Dash “replenishment” service lets users reorder common household items with a touch of a button. (Its first incarnation involved plastic “Dash buttons” dedicated to particular products; pressing one orders a set quantity of, say, diapers or dishwasher detergent.)
The new Dash devices will work in a similar fashion, although they won’t be dedicated buttons anymore. Instead, Brother connected printers will let you order replacement toner or ink automatically. A GE washer will reorder detergent when it runs low. And a Gmate glucose meter, which tests blood sugar for diabetics, automatically reorders testing strips and blood-drawing lancets when needed. Users can sign up online to activate the service.
Amazon first announced the expansion to the Dash line in October; now the new products are hitting the market. Others in the works include Purell hand-sanitizer dispensers, Samsung laser printers, “smart” home locks from Austin and others.
Encryption
Some government and police officials may be seething because encryption makes it harder for them to track criminals and extremists, but it turns out that many companies aren’t bothering to protect their data by encoding it in the first place.
A new study released Tuesday by the security firm Sophos surveyed 1,700 IT managers at mid-sized businesses in the US, Canada, India, Australia, Japan and Malaysia. Of those, 44 percent say they’re currently making extensive use of encryption, while another 43 percent are using encryption to some degree.
Encryption levels were lower among the smaller businesses surveyed, with just 38 percent of organizations with 100 to 500 employees saying they’re encrypting extensively.
In the US, encryption rates are higher, with 54 percent of those surveyed saying they make extensive use of the technology. Australia came in second with a rate of 49 percent, while Malaysia posted the lowest rate of 26 percent.
The top reason for not encrypting extensively — supplied by 37 percent of those who responded — was a lack of budget, while 31 percent cited performance concerns.